Ultima 1 is a really cool 8-bit sandbox of simple but fun gameplay mechanics. It's surprisingly still enjoyable to play. The version included in this package is the 1987 remake - the original was never released for DOS. What I find most interesting about it is how you can fulfill the prerequisites to get access to the final boss and beat the game just by playing it aimlessly and experiencing everything there is to do. Ultima 2 is mixed bag. If you are able to withstand it's shortcomings, there are some really cool things in this game. Exploration is much improved from the first game, with portals that take you back and forth between different time periods on Earth and entire alien planets to explore. Unfortunately, it's held back by the fact everything in the game costs money, including leveling up and healing. Earning exp amounts to nothing, you literally have to buy level ups. To make matters worse, you cannot sell loot, so money is only earned by defeating enemies. This turns an otherwise enjoyable game into a boring grind. Ultima 3 is an absolute classic that is largely responsible for setting up the blueprint for what RPG videogames would be in the 8 and 16-bit era. It's the first game in the series where you control a party of heroes. Combat now takes place in a battle screen. The magic system is far more developed and gives the player a lot of options. The world is full of secrets and mysteries to unravel. The dungeons are all unique and way better designed. Oh, and now you can sell your loot, so there's a great reason to explore everything. If you like RPGs from the 80s and haven't played this one yet, you are missing out. Both Ultima 2 and 3 are much better experienced using the upgrade patches from The Exodus Project, which are 100% compatible with these versions. Just make sure you follow the installation instructions correctly.
You play as an American soldier in World War II, assigned to a series of missions set in different parts of the world during the conflict, starting in North Africa, then Norway, later entering occupied France - where most of the game plays out - and finally reaching Nazi Germany. The selection of guns, while not huge, is varied enough to keep things interesting all the way through the campaign. The enemy AI is responsive and offers a good challenge, although it does show some predictable and very exploitable behavior patterns. The level design is for the most part very linear. Only on a few occasions is it even possible to perform the tasks you need to complete the objective out of order. There is a lot of variety in the missions and a few different play styles present in the levels. Some pit you against the Axis forces with a team, others send you alone, a few levels ask you to defend your position from incoming waves of enemies, there are also undercover levels where you get the opportunity to move around disguised as a Nazi officer and don't actually have to shoot anyone - at least not until you blow your cover - as well as vehicle and turret sections to break up the pace. Built on a modified version of the Quake 3 engine, the game isn't particularly ugly but it doesn't impress. Character models are fine and some interiors have a lot of detail to them, but natural landscapes look blocky and excessively geometrical. Sound design is very authentic and the game makes use of many sound cues to enhance the gameplay. Enemies speak in their native languages and have a decent number of lines to shout at you. The original soundtrack is very, very good and really pumps you up, driving home the feeling of playing a Hollywood blockbuster World War II epic. My personal favorite mission in the game is the fourth one, Behind Enemy Lines, especially the last level where you have to infiltrate a Nazi command post and steal some intelligence.
There is no reason to buy this game on GOG since it's not DRM-free. Not only is the presence of this game in the store a mockery of GOG customers and everything the site ever pretended to be about, but it is also pointless. Steam is much better service platform than GOG. If this version has DRM just like the Steam version has DRM, just buy on the better platform.
This is how all retro game collections should be. Truly a laibor of love
Lords of Xulima has one of the best turn-based combat systems I have ever played, and I have played many. It's constantly challenging. Zoning out and mindlessly spamming attack is not an option. It asks you to continuously adapt to new challenges, as the strategy that works with one enemy may not work with another. New skills that get unlocked when a character reaches higher levels add more options and new possibilities. Both you and the enemies have a wide array of status effects and buffs and debuffs at your disposal. Many different party compositions are viable thanks to a variety of items available that make up for any specific limitation. There is more to it, but I struggle to put everything into words. Trust me, this combat system is phenomenal. The rest of the game is not as good. Puzzles are very mediocre and some of the exploration challenges are genuinely not fun. Loot and shop inventory is randomized, so at times the weapon you find in the legendary crypt of a forgotten king is the same as the one that is being sold by the shopkeeper in town. The game structure is extremely formulaic and doesn't stray from that path at all, so the endgame feels very anticlimactic. The story told by the game is interesting, but the way it's told isn't. Despite all these problems, I rate this game highly because the combat system is that good. I finished the game in 66 hours, my party ranking between levels 58 and 62, on Old-School Veteran difficulty. I'm not going to replay it immediately, but I could see myself going back to it in the future to check out the Hardcore difficulty and how that changes the combat.
